I’m struggling
to write this review, because I’m worried that my words won’t adequately
represent the subtle charms of a film like In
the Courtyard. Although it is extremely French at its core, the film’s
themes are universally relatable, with performances from the leads most
effective through the silent expressiveness of their faces. There is a lot
about the structure of this narrative which aligns with the dramedy style found
in a majority of American independent cinema, combing awkward humor and
familiar pangs of realistic struggle. This is recognizable in any language,
regardless of ethnicity or nationality.

When an aging
musician named Antoine (Gustave Kervern) suddenly decides to retire in the
middle of a gig, he takes to a life of odd jobs until taking the position of
caretaker for an old residential building in Paris. He is hired by the head of the
homeowner’s association, Mathilde (Catherine Deneuve), whose recent retirement
has led to an unhealthy obsession with the crack in her living room ceiling.
These two inevitably build a kinship with each other, though it plays out in a
way that is somewhat unexpected in an otherwise predictable narrative.

The apartment
building and surrounding area is filled with an assortment of quirky
personalities, though each is tinged with a reminder of reality encroaching.
The strange immigrant that belongs to a cult and constantly asks favors of
Antoine is comical while also serving as a social reminder of the desperate
need for optimism, even clinging to false promises and empty faith. There is
the resident so convinced that he hears a dog in the apartment building’s
courtyard that he takes to barking out of his window at night, insistently
dedicated to the enforcement of the rules. Among these offenders of the
building regulations is a resident storing stolen bicycles in the courtyard as
a way to feed his drug habit.

This is a drug
habit shared by Antoine after years working as a musician, though the job as
caretaker was meant to help him quit the habit. The result is a series of
relapses, comically taking advantage of the back-and-forth process between
highs and withdrawals. As Antoine fights to live a clean and simple life, he
finds distraction in Mathilde’s misguided conquest to save the building from
collapsing. Their friendship seems to give Antoine comfort and anxiety in equal
form.

The Blu-ray
release for In the Courtyard comes
with a couple of extras and a slightly unnecessary high definition presentation
of the film. There is an interview with the director, Pierre Salvadori (Priceless, Beautiful Lies), as well as the film’s trailer.